Manufacture and treatment of textile materials



Patented 28, 1 939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,152,182 MANUFACTURE AND TREATMENT OF 'mx'rrm MATERIALS George Holland Ellis and Alexander James Wesson, Spondon, near Derby, England, 'assignors to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application March 18, 1937, Serial No. 131,672. In Great Britain April 1, 1936 5 Claims.

the successive treatment of the materials with a primary and secondary reagents which react together to form such insoluble compounds.

Thepresent invention is concerned with the production of textile materials which contain insoluble metal compounds and particularly with the production of organic derivative of cellulose textile materials which contain insoluble metal compounds, e. g., weighted or delustred textile materials, and which have improved properties, particularly as regards their handle and in the case of organic derivativeof cellulose materials, as regards their capability of withstanding, without damage. ironing at relatively high temperatures.

It has now been discovered that improved results may be obtained by incorporating in the textile materials two metal compounds adapted to react with one another so as to form in the materials insoluble compounds of each of the metals. A particularly valuable way oLobtaining this result is to incorporate in the materials two soluble metal salts and between the incorporation of such salts treating the materials so as to convert.

the metal salt in the materials into a compound as to form in the materials insoluble compounds of each of the metals. Thus, for example, very good results are obtained by first incorporating in the materials a salt such as barium thiocyanate, then treating the materials with a compound such as sodium carbonate, and finally treating the materials with a second metal salt such as aluminium sulphate. In this way both an insoluble barium compound and an insoluble aluminium compound may be formed in the .materials. However, the invention is not restricted to these particular compounds. Thus the.

initially incorporated salt may be another soluble salt of barium, e. g., barium chloride or a soluble salt of another metal, e. g., of calcium, strontium or lead, and the second incorporated salt may be, for example, an alum.

Where artificial textile materials are being treated the first metal salt may be incorporated,

if desired, during the course of the. manufacture I conjunction with the first metal salt applied to capable of reacting with the other metal salt so" of the materials, e. g. by introduction into the spinning solutions from which the materials are formed. In general, however, the metal salts will be applied in the form of solutions to the already formed textile materials, e. g., by passing the materials through solutions of the metal salts or by passing the materials over padding rollers. or like devices supplied with solutions of the metal salts.

In. order .to facilitate the incorporation of the 10 salts into the artificial materials the materials may be treated either prior to or during the treatment with the salts with swelling agents for the base of the materials, e. g. acetone, dioxane, ethylacetate, glycol monoacetate and methyl 1 glycol monoacetate. Moreover, the salts employed may themselves have a swelling action on the textile materials, as, for example, in the case of barium thiocyanate and cellulose acetate materials. While the materials are in a. swollen condition, either prior to or during the application of the metal salts, they may be subjected to a stretching operation. Such stretching operations are described in U. S. application S. No. 21,377 filed May 14, 1935. It is of considerable advantage to apply to the textile materials, in addition to the metal compounds, a relatively non-volatile substance having a mild softening action on the textile materials, e. g., glycerine glycols', oils such as Turkey red oil and similar substances. Such substances may be applied, if desired, simultaneously with the application of a metal compound, e. in

the materials. Preferably the materials after treatment with the first metal salt solution are allowed to stand for a prolonged period, e. g., for periods of 8-12 or 24 hours or more, before treatment with the second metal .salt solution or with an agent such as sodium carbonate. The treatment with sodium carbonate, or other substance adapted to convert one of the metal salts into a compound capable of reacting with the other metal salt so as to form insoluble compounds of both metals in the materials, may be effected by passing the materials carrying the salt which is to be treated through a solution of the said substance'orby passing the materials in contact with padding rollers or like devices suppliedwith the said substance. Where the compound formed by such treatment is relatively insoluble the materials are preferably subjected, after such treatment, to a washing operation. M

The proportions of metal salts incorporated in which the insoluble compounds are incorporated.

in the materials. For the purpose of delustring,

the metal salts may be incorporated in such pro- 5 portions as will result in the formation of a proportion of insoluble metal compounds in the material up to 1072 on the weight of the material, e. g. proportions of 3-8% on the weight of the material. For the purpose of weighting the materials larger proportions of insoluble metal compounds may be incorporated, e. g., proportions of 10-20 or 50% or more.

The materials produced according to this invention may be finished in any suitable manner,

e. g., by scouring them and applying to them a solution of beeswax in a suitable solvent.

Whilst the invention has been described: above with particular reference to the case where an agent such as sodium carbonate is applied to the i 2 materials after the application of the first 'metal salt and before the application of the second metal salt, the treatment with an agent such as sodium carbonate need not be eflected until after the application of both metal salts. Thus, for example, the materials may be treated; with barium thiocyanate and then with aluminium sulphate, and subsequently treated with sodium car nate, whereupon, as before, compounds of both barium and aluminium are formed in the so fibre.

The invention is of particular importance in connection with the manufacture and treatment of artificial filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and other textile materials having a basis of cellu- 5 lose ac'etate, but it is also of value in the manufacture and treatment of other textile materials, e. g., silk, cotton, wool, regenerated cellulose materials, andparticularly artificial textile materials having a basis of other organic derivatives 40 of cellulose, e. g., other esters of cellulose, such as cellulose formate, cellulose propionate, and cellulose butyrate, ethers of cellulose, as for example, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose, and mixed esters and ether-esters 45 of cellulose, as for example. cellulose acetate propionate, ethyl cellulose acetate and oxyethyl cellulose acetate.

Having described-our invention, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Process for the incorporation of insoluble metal compounds in artificial filaments, threads, yarns, fabricsand other textile materials having a basis of organia derivatives of cellulose,'which comprises I soluble salt of barium, then with sodium carbonate and finally with an aluminum sulphate.

2. Process for the -incorporation of insoluble metal compounds in artificial, filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and other textile materials having a basis of cellulose acetate, which comprises treating the materials first with a soluble salt of barium, then with sodium carbonate and finally with an aluminum sulphate.

3. Process for the incorporation of insoluble metal compounds in artificial filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and other textile materials having a basis of organic derivatives of cellulose, which comprises treating the materials with a soluble salt of barium, allowing the materials to stand for a prolonged period, thereafter treating the materials with sodium carbonate and finally treating the materials with an aluminum sulphate.

4. Process for the incorporation of insoluble metal compounds in artificial filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and other textile materials having a basis of cellulose acetate, which comprises treating the materials with a soluble salt of barium allowing the materials to stand for a prolonged period, thereafter treating the materials with sodium the materials with an aluminum sulphate.

5. Process for the incorporation of insoluble metal compounds in artificial filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and'other textile materials having a basis of organic derivatives'of cellulose, which comprises treating the materials first with a soluble salt of barium in conjunction with a relatively non-volatile substance which has a mild softening action on the materials, allowing the -'materials to stand for a prolonged period, thereafter treating the materials with sodium carbonate and finally treating the materials with an aluminumsulphate.

GEORGE HOILANDELLIS. ALEXANDER JAMES WESSON.-

treating the materials first with a carbonate and finally treating 

